The hunger for rugby

A quick internet search will lead you to believe that Zola Yeye's only claim to fame is being the manager of the Springbok rugby team in 2007, but a more thorough search will reveal that he is currently the Regional Manager of the SABC in the Eastern Cape.

Grocott’s Mail caught up with him in Grahamstown at the official opening of the Telkom Highway Africa House last week, and picked his brains about local rugby.

Unsurprisingly, Yeye is still involved in rugby. Besides being a game analyst and occasional commentator, he revealed that “I work behind the scenes with the Eastern Kings… That is another big project I’m involved in because the Eastern Cape needs a team."

He feels strongly about the province's involvement in rugby and said, "There is a buy in from SARU (South African Rugby Union) that the Eastern Cape must have a side in the Super 15 by 2013. The Cheetahs or the Lions need to fall away."

A quick internet search will lead you to believe that Zola Yeye's only claim to fame is being the manager of the Springbok rugby team in 2007, but a more thorough search will reveal that he is currently the Regional Manager of the SABC in the Eastern Cape.

Grocott’s Mail caught up with him in Grahamstown at the official opening of the Telkom Highway Africa House last week, and picked his brains about local rugby.

Unsurprisingly, Yeye is still involved in rugby. Besides being a game analyst and occasional commentator, he revealed that “I work behind the scenes with the Eastern Kings… That is another big project I’m involved in because the Eastern Cape needs a team."

He feels strongly about the province's involvement in rugby and said, "There is a buy in from SARU (South African Rugby Union) that the Eastern Cape must have a side in the Super 15 by 2013. The Cheetahs or the Lions need to fall away."

Yeye said that although many people have given up hope for the Eastern Cape, not everyone wants to leave it and that is why it is important to build a strong franchise for the province. "This is where you get black players from. If you look at the current Springboks, many of them are from here in the Eastern Cape."

He believes that the issue of transformation can be dealt with by paying more attention to the sport in this region. "There is a hunger for rugby in the Eastern Cape. The game has a big following in this region," he added.

Yeye says that he still supports and is involved with Spring Rose Rugby Club, the team that he and Watson played for. "I captained Cheeky at Spring Rose. We still have very firm bonds till now… Two days doesn’t pass without phone calls. It’s a tight relationship, we are almost blood related."